Double Take
by MT Pocketts
Summary: Just your basic love story for the twins, Fred and George. Love interests are both OCs
1. Snowball

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, but I did see the spot in Scotland where J.K. Rowling started writing it.

**Author's Note:** My first full length Harry Potter fic! Woo! This is pretty much entirely for my friend Jade and I, so if no one else likes it, hah! Too bad. Also, _we're both writing this_ so the chapters will alternate. Anyways, here goes…

OH! Right, almost forgot, our main two characters are original characters. Hope no one minds, hehe… At least the twins are in here too. Got to love Fred and George, right?

XXX

"So you've managed to get yourself into trouble again?" Fred grinned at Ron, who looked less than thrilled that he needed a chaperone to come and pick him up from school just so that he could go to Hogsmeade. Unfortunately Fred was the only Weasley that was able to help Ron today, as everyone else was too busy. George had to keep the shop up and running, especially with the weekend influx of Hogwarts students, and Ginny was obviously too young. All of the others were out of town or working.

"Stuff it, will you?" Ron muttered under his breath, hands in his pockets as he nodded sheepishly to McGonagall on his and Fred's way out the doors. She smiled kindly, obviously at least aware of the humiliation he was going through at the moment. Hermione and Harry had already made their way down to Hogsmeade, apparently unable to wait for their friend and his brother.

"But really mate, what'd you do?" Fred of course did not let the matter drop, even slowing his pace as they reached the courtyard.

"I said shove it!"

"Ooooooh, I got it," Fred winked playfully, leaning down like he was in on a precious secret, "It was Ronnie, with Lavender Brown, in the broom closet!"

Fred had maybe a second's warning before Ron hit him with the first snowball. He laughed and packed his own ball of fluff, and chased after Ron who took off across the courtyard. He ducked behind a statue, and Fred ran around the other side ready to launch. Ron had backed up and ran along the walkway towards Hogsmeade. "You're gonna get it, Ronnie!" Fred laughed but only saw the girl leaning against the wall at the last minute. It startled him just enough to throw off his aim, which thankfully made him miss her. She jumped, obviously startled, and glared at him. Fred could feel his cheeks go almost as red as his and Ron's hair, and Ron was laughing all the way to Hogsmeade.

XXX

She shivered again and pulled her scarf tighter around her neck, covering the last of her blonde hair that was not under her pink and yellow hat. The snow was falling, and at this time of year Alysia always felt as though the snow would never stop falling. Hogsmeade was coated with a thick blanket of snow, and it looked like the perfect winter postcard. Alysia smiled, thinking it would be the perfect card to send home to the United States for the holidays. Still, she and her younger sister Jem would be heading home for the holidays and she knew they'd easily beat the owl home anyways.

Besides, sending an owl across the Atlantic was probably animal cruelty. If that Hermione Granger that Jem was always gossiping about got wind of it, there would be protests cropping up all over the Wizarding World and that would be disastrous. She should not even consider it if she planned on hanging on to that internship at the Ministry of Magic over the summer. She worked in the Department of Muggle Affairs as a specialist, considering she still attended a muggle university as it better suited her talents and interests.

Alysia sighed and checked her watch again. Hordes of Hogwarts students were pouring out of the school now towards the small village they were permitted to visit on the weekends, but there was no sign of the spirited Jem. Alysia was growing impatient, though that had more to do with the cold creeping up her through the stone wall she leaned against. It was rare enough for her to have a break from University on a weekend, but this weather made her crave one of the coffees she only seemed to be able to find at home. The blonde jumped when a snowball hit the wall three feet to the side of her, and two boys dressed in homemade sweaters ran by yelling a not-so-heartfelt apology between laughs. She settled against the wall again, narrowing her blue eyes at them. One looked to be about her age if not a couple years younger—and should really know better than to run around having snowball fights on the slick pavement of the school!—but the other appeared to be Jem's age. Both had fiery red hair, the effect of which was not lessened in the slightest by the maroon and green hats they wore.

"Aly!" came the familiar voice at last.

"Jem!" her head snapped to attention and she hopped up to run over and embrace her younger—but unfortunately taller--sister. "Took you long enough, kid."

"Sorry, I came down late and ended up at the end of the line," Jem explained.

"Meh, make me wait when it's _warm_ next time, alright?" Alysia joked and squeezed her sister's shoulder. They meandered their way over to Hogsmeade, trying to keep each other from falling over in the snow, but of course Alysia managed to knock herself and Jem down within the first five minutes of their walk.

XXX

"Took you two long enough!" George called when he saw his brother come into their shop, Fred paused to shrug out of his winter clothes, but George blinked in surprise when he did not see Ron. "Where's the kid?"

"Met up with Potter and Granger for some Butterbeer, you know," Fred winked and George laughed.

"Lavender Brown in the broom closet?"

"He says no, wouldn't admit it," Fred shrugged his shoulders, weaving his way through the customers back to the counter where he put on his own apron and took over while George took his ten minute break to grab a drink from the Three Broomsticks. Judging from the crowd Fred was now handling, George would certainly need it.

"Tough luck, we'll have to torture him later," George conceded on his way out, and helped one of the younger Hogwarts students reach something on the top shelf. Fred took over the cash register, ringing up Neville Longbottom first. He shook some of the remaining snow out of his hair as he did so, oddly reminded of the girl he'd accidently startled with that snowball. She was certainly not a student he'd seen before, and he didn't think Hogwarts was that big. He tried not to think too long on it, but he found himself searching the crowd of customers for her pink and yellow hat.

XXX

George zipped his jacket all the way up to his chin, though it did nothing for the snow on top of his head. His mother would be scolding him for forgetting his hat by now, but it was not far to the Three Broomsticks and he just needed a quick Butterbeer. Besides, it was his turn to give Ron a hard time if he was still in there.

He stomped his feet as he got in, knocking at least some of the fresh snow from his boots. The warmth of the Three Broomsticks was a stark contrast from the weather outdoors, his nose, cheeks and fingers were already turning pink in protest of the rapid climate change. George walked over to the bar, barely watching where he was going as he looked around for Ron but there was no sign of him. He stumbled into someone when he backed into the bar, and found himself the reason for a girl about two years his junior having her drink spilled all over herself.

"Oh no, sorry there," George pulled out his wand and muttered one of the charms his mother had used many times over the years with a house full of boys and her shirt began to dry itself.

"Oh, thank you," she blushed, looking up at him with a sheepish grin. An American accent too? That was new… The girl sitting next to her looked less than pleased, and George chuckled nervously. As soon as he got his Butterbeer he knew it was his cue to go.

XXX

"God, the manners here, why is it so crowded over here?!" Alysia grunted in exasperation as soon as they had left the Three Broomsticks. She came from the West coast of the United States, and she certainly was not used to crowds nor was she fond of them. Jem, on the other hand, came from the South and so was used to a far different lifestyle. Obviously, they were not sisters by relation but sisters by heart.

"But at least he helped me clean up, he was really nice about it," Jem defended the red-headed stranger, since he had tried to make it right after all.

"Pfft, yeah, because none of us around here can fix things with a wand," Alysia muttered sarcastically. She and Jem finally just let the subject drop, silently agreeing to disagree. Alysia did not mention that he'd been the same guy who had nearly nailed her in the face with a snowball.

"Oh!" Jem suddenly stopped and pointed excitedly.

"Hm?" Alysia stopped and looked where the girl was pointing, seeing a shop that seemed to have too much fun flair and craziness for its own good.

"Weasley's Wizarding Weezes! I told you about this place, it's the best one! A couple of new Hogwarts alums run it!" Jem bounced up and down excitedly and Alysia caught a hint of the excitement as well.

"Alright, let's go!" Alysia wiggled her eyebrows at Jem and they raced for the door.

XXX

George had only just gotten his apron back on when a pair of girls crashed into the shop through their door. "Safe!" yelled Fred with a laugh.

"I won! I won!"

"You did NOT, I SOOOO won this time!"

"Liar!"

"Cheat!"

"Skank!"

The American girl's voices began to grow higher in pitch as they faked an argument, causing a few of the customers that were nearest to the door to conveniently walk out so as to escape the noise. And that was saying something for a shop as accustomed to chaos as the Weasley's Wizarding Weezes.

"Ladies, ladies, we appreciate the excitement, but we like it more when you direct that towards our merchandise," George finally stepped in, smiling kindly to the two American witches.

"Hey, it's you," Jem grinned widely when she recognized George from the Three Broomsticks. He laughed nervously, taking an extra minute to make the connection.

"Oh boy," Alysia murmured, recognizing the tone in Jem's voice. It was best to just get out of the way at this point, so she busied herself by looking at the various things on the shelves and counters.

"I'm Jem," Jem introduced herself with an extended hand, George held out his own as well.

"George Weasley," George replied. "Do you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes! Transferred from an American Wizarding school," Jem smiled, pouring on her most flirtatious body language. "You know, no one's really properly showed me around yet." Alysia's eyes flickered above one of the displays to catch Jem's flirting, and her eyes widened at how this George guy blushed. He actually _blushed._

"Ugh, gag me," Alysia said under her breath only to realize she was not the only one who had said something. She glanced over to see who possessed the voice she heard to her left, only to do a double take when she saw what looked like a mirror reflection of George. He seemed rather pleased by this reaction, and laughed quite a bit.

"We get that a lot," Fred chuckled. "I'm Fred Weasley."

"Alysia Newton," Alysia replied. "Quite the shop you've got here."

"We're rather proud of it," he beamed, "anything you might like to see?"

"Anything that will either help me cheat on a test or keep my roommate out of my stuff," Alysia answered automatically.

"I have something that can do BOTH!" Fred nearly ran over to the box of their newest product, Snorflax Spies. By now, Alysia's attention was completely distracted from keeping an eye on George and Jem. Which of course means that she completely missed George working up the courage to start flirting with her right back.

"Which house are you in?" George asked her.

"Gryffindor," she answered with a proud smile, her brunette hair spilling around her face as she unconsciously leaned forward. The scarlet bangs and tips framing her face were not wasted on George, he recognized house pride when he saw it.

"Gryffindor… " George repeated in an approving tone. "Suits you well." _How on earth have I never met you before?_ Was the question he really wanted to ask. He was about to go on when the door distracted him, and out of habit he looked up to greet the customer.

"Hey Weasley," a familiar voice followed the jingle of the bell announcing another customer, but the shop went silent when all of the patrons recognized Draco Malfoy and his two cronies behind him. "Wait until my father hears that one of your _weezes_," Draco overemphasized the word as he turned to lift some of his pale hair from his left ear, "did this to me!" Only instead of a human ear, it was a pink pig's ear. Muffled laughter broke out in the shop, only to be silenced by Draco's glare.

"Oh brilliant, quite an improvement actually--" Fred began.

"—but maybe a couple of rings now, it needs some bling," George finished with a large grin.

"When my father—" Draco hissed, face fully flushed now.

"Your father can't manage to separate his work life from his social life, and forgets that he in fact does not run the Ministry of Magic," Alysia glared at the pale boy, and managed to ignore the way that all eyes in the shop were on her. If it were even possible, the boy's face went even paler than it started out.

"I suppose at least he doesn't specialize in Muggles," Draco finally managed a comeback, and the two Weasley boys present at the time moved forward with grim looks of anger on their faces—but it was the young American that beat them to the punch.

Or kick, as it were.

"That's for being a snotty little prick," Jem clarified as Draco doubled over, moaning in pain. "A'ight?" she added, her drawl playing along the word beautifully. Crabbe and Goyle looked positively mystified—after all, they could hit most of the Gryffindors but this one was a _girl_. It'd be humiliating to admit later… Or to explain the bruises she might leave. Instead, they took the coward's way out and dragged Draco back out the door despite his protests.

"Blimey… " George muttered without thinking, "Marry me."

At Jem and Alysia's sudden laughter, he turned redder than his own hair.


	2. First Goodbye

**Author's Note:** Alright, Here it is A Flashback chapter. Oh! This is Jade by the way! Yep, I like it…

_Chapter 2: First Goodbye_

_Two months earlier, back in September..._

Two girls were walking slowly on a platform. A scarlet steam engine was slowly puffing out smoke behind them as they turned to face each other. They both had tears in their eyes, though each girl hid them in their own way. One was scratching her face and the other was "fixing" a contact. As the steam engine gave a particularly loud whistle on of the girls chose to speak.

"Jem, Please don't do anything rash! Please don't blow up a toilet!"

The younger, but taller girl chose at that moment to grin wolfishly at the older woman, eyes flashing with mischief . "Oh come on Aly, Its just a toilet!"

" I don't care if its Harry freakin Potter! NO BLOWING UP TOILETS!"

A group of people who were passing stared at them strangely. Jem noticed one of them had dark hair. _Could that be Harry Potter? _She thought. He was surrounded by people with flaming red hair. She has always liked red hair. She thought it was sexy. She started to giggle.

"Jem! It's almost eleven. You have to go! I'll see you sometime soon! Owl me when you get there! Tell me what house you get put in!"

Jem waved her hand over her shoulder, already boarding the Hogwarts Express. She glanced over her shoulder, took in the sight of Aly, felt tears come to her eyes and grinned a trademark grin, a slightly wolfish smile.

XXXXXX

George Weasley was walking beside his twin, both were trying to smuggle in there Weasley Wizard Wheezes supplies right under their Mum's nose. And Blimey was it difficult. It was almost as if she suspected something of them. That wasn't very nice. I mean they weren't that bad.

They passed a group of girls, one that looked about a fourth year and the other looked out of school age. They were saying goodbye. A smirk crossed his face when he heard the older one scream," I don't care if It's Harry freakin Potter! NO BLOWING UP TOILETS!" Harry was staring at them. The younger one grinned a rather wolfish smile. It looked vicious.

"Fred! George!" George glanced around till he saw their friend Lee Jordan, dreadlocks flying, hurrying towards them waving a hand.

"Lee! You're looking good!" Fred gave his friend a hug before he said goodbye to Mum. George gave her a hug before he got stuck behind that girl. The one who wanted to blow up a toilet. Nice move. She went into a compartment. One where Ron. Harry, and Hermione went into.

XXXXXX

Aly was still standing there waving like an idiot as the train pulled out of the station. There was her little sister going off to school. She sighed and turned around to see the mother of the redheads staring at her.

"You look too young, To have a daughter that old…"

"She's not my daughter. She's like a little sister, I'm her legal guardian though…"

Aly smiled at her before she had to head to school. She was going to a muggle college in Berlin. She was undercover for the ministry, trying to sort out witches and wizards from the muggles. And It was hard. It took her a week to find one witch. With Jem gone maybe she could get more work done. That and if Percy Weasley would stop asking about Jem every five minutes. It's getting frustrating and a little creepy.

She disapparated from the train station, and landed in her dorm. She glanced at the desk and saw a picture of Jem. This was going to be hard.

XXXXXXX

Now that the train ride was over, Jem had made friends with Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. They were very nice and were interested in her American upbringing. They honestly had never heard a drawl before, so she amused them.

They were riding in the horseless carriages and Jem was slightly nauseous. She had to meet the headmaster and the heads of the houses before the start of the term feast so she could be sorted into her house. She was hoping for Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.

"Jem Arriaga? Please follow me."

A smart, severe looking woman with black hair in a tight bun beckoned for the girl. She cast a worried look at the trio before she started walking, rather quickly, until she was in an abandoned classroom with a rickety old stool in the center of the room and an old patchy hat on top.

"Miss Arriaga, I want you to place that hat on your head, and sit on the stool."

An old man with a super long silver beard gestured to the hat and on shaking legs she picked the hat on and sat down.

_Where should we put you?_ A voice inside her head asked her._ Courage. A great mind. Ravenclaw? That could be good. But, The courage you have outweighs your smarts. I say__** Gryffindor! **_

A look of pure relief washed over Jem's face as the woman with the bun smiled.

"You'll be in my house. My name is Minerva McGonagall."

Before she knew it, Jem was sitting at the Gryffindor table by the trio. The feast was over and they were on their way back to the Gryffindor tower.

"Jem, What year are you in?" asked Hermione was they slowly trudged up to the girls dormitories.

"Oh, Fourth."

Jem didn't remember Hermione's answer when they got the fourth years dorm she crawled into her bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	3. Potion Number 9

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill, I own nothing. JK Rowling rules the world.

**Author's Note:** This is MT again, with your next taste of the delectable tale of twins in love. Enjoy!

_Chapter 3: Potion Number 9_

_Back to present time…_

The library was completely silent at this hour, with only the most dedicated students still hunting for books and other resources for their studies. Candle light flickered while the brunette and crimson haired girl hopped up and down in hopes she would be able to reach the potions book at the top of the shelf. Of course, it rested on the first shelf that was just out of Jem's reach. Even with her hopping, she was unable to wrap her fingers around the spine binding the words she so needed for this assignment. The title, _Potions In History_, winked back at the fourth year in the candlelight like a cat taunting an angry hound.

She finally paused, catching her breath again. Jem looked around the stacks around her, wondering if it was possible to pile a few up and clamber atop to reach the mischievous potions volume. But by now it had become a personal battle, and it was one that Jem intended to win. She rolled up the sleeves of her robes and hopped with extra spring this time… Only to knock the five books to the left of the one she needed to the ground. With a yelp, she followed behind them.

XXX

Alysia jumped back when the files sprang out at her, gasping in surprise when it happened. She sighed and bent down to pick up the scattered ministry files, hoping Percy had not noticed her little accident. "Oh dear, let me give you a hand with that," a kind voice offered and Alysia found a red-headed man kneeling down beside her, scooping up the folders she had missed.

"Thank you," she smiled earnestly when they both rose again, he handed her the paperwork carefully so as not to spill them once more.

"So are you the new intern, then?" he asked, beaming at her. She imagined they did not receive a lot of help in the Department of Muggle Affairs.

"Yes, in between time at university that is," she shifted the folders so that she could extend a hand. "Alysia Newton."

"Arthur Weasley," he held his smile and reached out his hand to shake hers heartily. "Alysia… I think my children have told me about you. The American accent gave you away."

"_Really?_" Alysia could not hide her amazement. She had only met the Weasleys once before, when she had met up with her sister in Hogsmeade. "Dare I ask what they've told you?"

"Oh, it's mostly about your sister… Jane Anna?"

"Jem Arriaga," Alysia smiled, it was a tricky name sometimes.

"That's the one!" he chuckled. "Yes, she seems to have fit in well at Hogwarts, and I guess she gave that Malfoy boy a rough time of it."

"That she did, in Hogsmeade I believe," Alysia suppressed a laugh. News did travel fast. "I was there for that one."

"Yes, yes, I believe they told me that," Arthur said, scratching his head. Alysia stared in wonder. _Was it Fred? Did Fred tell you about me?_ She shoved the thought aside, hiding her blush with a grin.

"Well, I best be back to work now, nice meeting you Mr. Weasley," Alysia nodded.

"Oh please, it's Arthur," he patted her on the shoulder.

"Then call me Aly," she smiled, turning back to her work on the other side of the office, only to be met halfway by Percy.

"Ms. Newton," Percy smiled, like a friend sharing a secret. "Tell me, has Jem—"

"Go do your job, Percy," she ducked around him, though she hoped her tone had been kind enough to not make his father feel sore at her for yelling at his son. Because, truth be told, she rather liked the rest of his family. Certain members maybe a little more than others. _What was he doing now?_

XXX

Jem had stuck one of her feet on a low shelf that she had cleared off, and was now attempting to climb up the bookcase. However, the downside to this technique was the angle it put her at, as it made it much harder for her to reach for let alone see the actual book.

But then, she got up to the shelf she wanted, and managed to spot the devious potions book, just beckoning her to her doom from that high shelf. She reached up and her finger hit the corner of the book. She grinned triumphantly, it was certainly a start. Jem leaned back slightly so as to get a better angle to grab the book with her full hand and pull it off the shelf so that she could climb down with her prize.

Of course, leaning was her first mistake.

With a squeal that had Mrs. Norris's ears ringing, Jem fell backwards off of the bookshelf from a significant height—

--only to land perfectly in George Weasley's waiting arms.

"Easy, mate," he laughed, looking down at the embarrassed girl in his arms. "We save rock-climbing for the actual rocks around here."

"Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, now would we?" Fred came up behind them, winking slyly at his brother and grabbing the book Jem had been reaching for off of the shelf and handing it to her.

"Thank you," Jem said, taking the book from Fred. She looked up at George as well, smiling her thanks as his arms slowly slid away from her. She tried not to focus on how strange it felt not having George Weasley's arms around her waist.

"Why aren't you and Hermione studying together anyways?" George wanted to know, as curious as he was.

"She's doing a different project, this is the only book covering the potions from the time period Snape wants me to look at," Jem shrugged her shoulders, not really too thrilled about the project.

"I see," Fred snatched the book back, flipping through a few of the pages. "I remember this one, I think I did the same project."

"Roman empire?" Jem asked.

"Hah, yeah, the same," Fred laughed, tossing the book to George who flipped through a couple of pages, chuckling to himself as he did so. "We traded on that one, I took his Dark Ages assignment."

"Yeah, and then I rigged that Molten Mortar to explode right in Snape's face," George laughed, handing Jem back the book. "Think I earned you a lower grade thanks to that part." Jem giggled at the thought of Snape's face covered in mortar, it wasn't a terrible idea really. She had a lot to learn from these two.

"Maybe I could do this one, the Egyptian Elegance Elixir…" she murmured, reading the first page she had opened the book up to, suddenly entranced by the complexities of the potion.

"We should let you work, then," George shot a warning look over at Fred before he suggested they have some alone time together, "but you should look into Potion Number 9. It's a snap, every time." He waggled his eyebrows at her before ushering his twin down the aisle of books, despite the muttered protests that sounded an awful lot like '_But I forgot to ask about Aly!_'

Intrigued, Jem opened to page 189 where Potion Number 9 was listed. The Roman Revitalizer, a cousin of the Egyptian Elegance Elixir. It was a very simple recipe, much easier than it's Egyptian cousin had sounded. Jem looked down the list of ingredients, and was happy to see that they were all very basic. She stopped and blinked in surprise when she read the description of what the potion was used for:

_The Roman Revitalizer—an ancient love potion, nicknamed in American folklore the "Love Potion #9." Romans used this brew to ignite the love felt between two parties, but the effects were only felt if the affection was present in both parties. The name "revitalizer" came from the tendency for older couples using the brew to bring the passion back into their relationships._

Jem read and re-read the description at least five times. _Ignite the love felt between two parties…_ she turned the words over in her head, _Did he mean… Me? Why else would George recommend a love potion?_ Cheeks flaming, Jem gathered her belongings and made her way out of the library and back to the Gryffindor common room. She went in and silently joined Hermione at the table in the back where she sat hunched over her own project. Jem let her gaze move over to the fireplace, where half of the house seemed to be sitting. She could have sworn she saw George quickly avert his gaze and she smiled, hugging the book to her chest briefly before opening it to page 189 and getting to work on her project.

XXX

_Dearest Jem, _Alysia started her letter. Her eyes roved around the office carefully, knowing that this might not be the best place to write a letter to Hogwarts. Still, she had a break and felt the urge to send something to her sister. So here she was, a notepad and a quill, her hand moving across the page as fast as it would go.

_Life at the ministry's been about as exciting as ever, you know, paperwork always abounds and though I'm undercover there's only so much I can do. Even without you to distract me each case takes me at least a week. _

_However, this morning I met Arthur Weasley. I'm sure that by now either Ginny or Ron has mentioned their dad, and I must say he's one of the nicest men here. The others seem to think that their job at the ministry entitles them to a boundless ego. _

Alright, so she meant Malfoy, but at least she didn't say it blatantly. Either way, Jem would know exactly who she meant.

_Anyway, he mentioned that the Weasleys speak of you, and I imagine it's only in the nicest way. Especially if they mentioned me as well, I was surprised he recognized my name in conjunction with yours. I can't help but wonder if Fred was the one who mentioned me, but I shouldn't get my hopes up should I?_

Alysia frowned, her eyes checking the area again while her quill took a break from the paper. There, she had managed to think about him again already. Even worse, she'd _penned_ it. That was a bit more binding, more formal. She sighed, thinking about the smile that had crawled across Jem's face when she had stated that she thought Alysia and Fred had made a connection. Alysia's gaze shifted over to the picture frame on the right corner of her desk, the one from Halloween the year before. They both wore ridiculous grins and had basically ruined each other's costumes with smeared candy all over them. It was priceless. She turned back to the letter, inspired again.

_How is everyone? Is Gryffindor suiting you? I'm sure it is, you were always the one that had to be dragged off of the swing set when you'd taken it upon yourself to climb to the top. Queen of the Mountain, indeed. Speaking of Gryffindor, Percy asked about you today. Again. The first time was just after I met Arthur, and the next time was when I went for a coffee break (Can you believe it? The Ministry FINALLY got a Floo network connection at the first Starbucks, my days have been shorter ever since!). I spent the entire break fielding his questions and trying to explain that as your legal guardian, there are some things I'm just not willing to share._

_Missing you more every day. I'll try to come up for the first Hogsmeade weekend in December._

_All my love,_

_Aly_

XXX

Fred rubbed his eyes and yawned, only to be poked in the ribs during his time of weakness by Lee Jordan. "Oi! What was that for?"

"Pay back for last week," Lee explained. Fred paused for a moment and thought back before laughing and nodding. He'd already forgotten about the breakfast ruckus, which was a shame because it had been quite a good one.

"Think I'm done for the night," Fred admitted, grabbing the Daily Prophet he had been pretending to be reading. "Try not to rob the cradle while I'm gone," he teased in a low voice, earning a swat from George.

"Try not to rob the grave," George countered with a smirk. Fred shook his head and walked back up to their room. He opened the door slowly in case someone else was asleep, and let his eyes adjust to the dark before he made his way over to his bed. He crawled in and drew the drapes around for a bit of privacy. _Lumos! _Fred opened the paper carefully, scanning for any updates on things back home but instead his eyes landed on an article about the Ministry of Magic. Or rather, on someone in the picture next to it. Alysia's face grinned up at him, she was dressed impeccably for work in the Ministry of Magic even though she was just an intern in the background. His eyes moved to the title of the article, and his jaw dropped as he read the bold words: "Ministry Finds Escaped Death Eater at Muggle University in Berlin."

"Wicked…" he breathed.


	4. Dinosaurish Hiss

_**Authors Comments: This is Jade this time! Hiya folks, This time our little Gryffindor shows her boldness!**_

_**Chapter 4: "Dinosaurish Hiss"**_

_The sound of shoes clicking on stone was sounding like a death threat to Jem as she made her way to the house table to stuff her face before she went to jog around the lake. I have to keep in shape somehow…._ She didn't even hear the throat clearing behind her as she dug into her cereal with a gusto that made the person behind her snort.

"Miss Arriaga, Please stop….eating and turn to face me."

Jem's face paled and she turned to face the potion master, Severus Snape himself. She realized after about thirty seconds she still had her spoon in her mouth and everything. She blushes slightly, but it was hidden under her tan. She flashed him a quick, wolfish smile, hopefully she won't die today.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Concerning the potion experiment, you were supposed to do potion No. 9, is that correct?"

A look crossed Jem's face as she picked up the supposed to do. _Oh no. No! No! No! No!_She felt all the blood drain from her face as a sneer crossed Snape's face. She looked at her cereal and wondered if it were possible to drown herself in the milk and now soggy cereal. Not only will her day be bad, but now she had to get more cereal. That's just wasteful. The nerve.

"I'm pretty sure I did that assignment. I worked with Hermione and George!" She stamped her foot to get her point across. A flashback of her falling into the strong, Quidditch induced muscular arms. A blush tinted her cheeks.

"Than were is it, Miss Arriaga? It isn't in the turn in pile. Perhaps you were…busy?" His sneer became more pronounced as Jem's eyes narrowed into near slits. She was vaguely aware of Harry, Ron, and Hermione arriving and staring at the scene with wary eyes.

" I don't know professor. May you should tell me?" She regretted uttering those words the second they left her mouth. Ron and Harry grinned and Hermione gasped. Jem arched a dark brow in defiance of the teacher. She saw two red heads and a black haired kid sit down. So, Fred, George and Lee were here too.

**XXXXX**

George was going through his bag to make sure he had all of his fake wands, canary crèmes, and of course, headless hats to sell and distribute to his fellow students when he saw a piece of parchment with a unfamiliar handwriting . He unrolled it and he sighed.

_The Roman Revitalizer: A potion essay by Gemini Arriaga_

_The Roman Revitalizer is a love potion that only works if the people in question already have a slight attraction to each other. It opens each others eyes to the qualities and physical attraction the others possess. To test the potion and to make sure it works, I have decided to use Alysia Newton and Fred Weasley, who obviously have something going on. Next time Aly is here, I'll take notes before the potion and after. We may have a new couple. Heh._

George couldn't help the smile that crossed his face when he read that she actually took his advice. He wasn't about to tip off Fred. He needs to get over Angelina anyway. Shaking his head, he shoved it through the hanging around his bed and saw Fred do the exact same thing.

"Good Morning, Fred."

"Morning George. How are you?"

"Pretty Dandy if I do say so myself. I fancy me some food, mate."

The twins got dressed at record speed, George was waiting to see someone and Fred was just hungry. Plus he had the chance to tease. Like crazy. He started to grin like a Cheshire-Cat as soon as the stepped into the Great Hall. But it left his face like stink sap falling to the ground as he saw Jem and Snape in a argument.

"I don't know, Professor. Maybe you should tell me!" Snape glared down at the girl who glared right back up. Her eyes were narrowed and the blue, usually happy and dancing looked like a sea before a storm.

"Five points from Gryffindor. I don't take sass from anyone. Not you."

George looked at Jem and could see she was close to boiling point. Her eyes were snapping and her fists were clenched so tight her knuckles were white as the snow outside.

" You no good mother effing dinosourish HISS!" And coming from Jem, George thought as Harry, Ginny, Fred, and Lee busted into laughter, while Hermione stared mouth agape, that's pretty harsh. Jem took one look at Snape and tore from the Great Hall, muttering under her breathe about Snape needing mouthwash and shampoo.

George took one look at Snape and looked at his bag and the awful horror sat in. She got into that fight because she put her parchment in his bag and asked him to remind her to get it. George sighed and stalked after Snape.

"Professor, Excuse me, but…this belongs to Jem, I mean Gemini." He handed over the parchment and waited, hoping Snape would take it. Snape just glanced at it and sneered.

"Your kidding me, Right Mr. Weasley? You expect me to believe you have your little girlfriends essay right after she promised she did it?'

A blush was covering his face." She left it in my bag….Oh! Professor McGonagall! Isn't that Jem's handwriting?"

"Oh, That essay. Why do you have Miss Arriaga's essay? No- I don't even want to know, But that is Miss Arriaga's. She finished it in my class."

Without a word, both Professors walked away leaving a triumphant George to go look for Jem and he found her were he first looked, The library writing someone. He didn't get a chance to see who it was too before she rolled up the parchment.

"Jem, I sorted it all out."

And the hug he received from the smaller girl made it all worth while.

**XXXXXX**

After running away from Snape, Jem went to the library first thing to send a letter to Aly. She wanted Aly to know before Snape sent her lies. She knew for a fact she did that assignment!

_Dear Aly,_

_How are you doing at Berlin? I saw you found an escaped Death eater. Way to go! A certain someone -cough-Fred-cough- was reading it with a dreamy expression on his face. He really like ya Aly. And you like him. But, that not the reason I'm owling you._

_I got into some trouble with Snape. He lost an assignment of mine! I swear he did it on purpose! He yelled at me in the Great Hall! I lost it and yelled back… and used the ever so charming swear I made up when I was eleven. You know the dinosaur one? I know I promised I'd keep my temper in but dammit he's awful. And know you get the news before he lies to your face. _

_On a happier note. Are you gonna be here for the Yule Ball? No one hasn't asked me yet. What if no one does! What will I do? I really wanna go...But I don't wanna go alone, Ya know? Damn, Oh well. I'll just have to wait…though I wouldn't be to upset if George asked me. Hehe_

_Love, Jemmy Jem _

Jem rolled up the parchment and turned to leave and saw George. When he said he sorted it all out, Jem couldn't help it, She hugged him


	5. Owls

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, etc.

**Author's Note:** MT here again, and this time you shall see what its like to get spam—owl style!

_Chapter 5: Owls_

Once again, Alysia's lunch break was ruined. Percy Weasley sat across from her now while she ate the sandwich she had prepared in her dorm room for the day, but the taste was completely lost on her now. _I swear, if he so much as speaks her name again, I'll disapparate right now!_ Alysia thought viciously, chewing her sandwich like it was leather to be torn through. He just stared back at her patiently, like he was happy to have a new friend his age at the Ministry. She wondered sometimes if that might be why he was so persistent, maybe Jem was the only thing he actually knew about her so that was what he asked about. Alysia braced herself when she saw him starting to speak, her hand inching towards her wand.

"Miss Newton, would you—" Percy began, only to be smacked in the face by an owl. A letter dropped from the bird's claws and skidded across the table to Alysia's hands. She recognized her name, Aly, scribbled hurriedly across the front in Jem's handwriting.

"Jem!" she cried, some food dropping from her mouth as she did so, ripping the letter open and reading quickly.

"Anything new?" Percy asked kindly, though he was completely ignored. The owl landed gracefully on Alysia's shoulder, nipping the young woman's ear gently.

"Ah! Oh, hey Rukia," Alysia barely glanced up from the letter, but she did reach up to pet the feathers of Jem's owl. Rukia had been Jem's last birthday present, a congratulations for transferring to Hogwarts. Alysia's cheeks turned a little pink when she read the part about Fred, so he did notice. And he remembered her. She grinned, not really caring that Percy was staring at her funny now.

As if on cue, another owl crashed onto the table, sending Percy's lunch flying. Alysia tried her best to put on a sympathetic face, but all she really managed to do was not laugh. "Errol!" he recognized the old family bird immediately, tenderly picking the poor creature up and taking the letter from its claws. This time, Alysia did not have to fake her reaction. It really was rather sweet. "Wait…" Percy looked at the letter, a very confused look on his face. "Its for you?"

"For me?" Alysia snatched the letter from Percy's grasp, her jaw dropping open when she saw the name on the front. _Alysia Newton_ was printed awkwardly on the front, almost like the writer had been shaking, or… laughing? She ripped it open and began to read.

_Dear Miss Newton,_

_Sorry to bother you at work, but I really wanted to say congrats on finding that Dark Wizard back there in Berlin. Must be hard work! Jem brags about you any chance she gets, which is quite a lot actually._

_I was actually wondering when you might come to, you know, visit us again? It would mean a lot to Jem—and by extension my brother George, of course, haha. I think you'd love the Yule Ball, the whole great hall gets transformed into a dance and there's music and everything. You should come, it'd be great._

_Hope to see you then,_

_Fred Weasley_

She read it three times, absorbing the words and checking for hidden meanings. From Fred Weasley. Fred Weasley. _Fred Weasley_! She folded it up quickly, tucking into the chest pocket of one of her shirt. The last thing she needed was Percy getting on her case about this, too.

"So, what did Fred say?" he asked, completely calm even when Alysia's eyes widened at him. "Don't look so surprised, he's my brother. I can tell them all apart by handwriting."

"He asked if I'd be visiting for the Yule Ball," Alysia answered, keeping it as basic as possible. Unfortunately, Percy saw right through it.

"As his date?"

"… No," she admitted reluctantly.

"Hmm," Percy replied, leaning back in his chair. "You should let me take you out to dinner, then."

Alysia's eyes—somehow—got even wider. Did Percy Weasley just ask her, of all people, out on a date? "Why?" she blurted out without thinking.

As if knowing that she needed to be saved from the awkward, a third owl landed in between Percy and Alysia. Unlike the other two, this one took off again as soon as Alysia received her letter. It looked to be important, urgent business from Hogwarts. She opened it wordlessly, knowing this was the letter from Snape. Her face fell, this was so much to take in at once.

"I've got to go to Hogwarts," she glanced to the side, looking at the nearest calendar. It was a weekend, well, that was lucky. She also didn't have any homework that she couldn't do at Hogwarts, she would just go to the grounds and disapparate back to her dorm if she needed anything. Alysia had already stuffed all of her letters in various pockets before donning her robes and walking out of the cafeteria, her sandwich abandoned on the table with Percy. She barely heard him say he would see her there, because she had grabbed a bit of scrap parchment to tell Jem via owl that she was on her way now. Rukia took off at full speed, and Alysia disapparated to her dorm to pack a few things first.

XXXXXX

Jem held her books tight to her chest, her bag bouncing against her hip as she walked back to the common room after class. It had been Potions with Snape, and she still had not forgiven him for the misunderstanding. He did NOT need to be confronting students in the great hall like that, even if it was their fault that the matter got messed up. Then again, she had been very lucky that George had heard the whole thing, otherwise she would have been in some very deep trouble. She would make those points up to Gryffindor, somehow.

"Rukia!" she was surprised to see her owl sitting there next to the fat lady, waiting for Jem with a ripped piece of parchment. Jem sighed, not knowing what to expect but not really thinking that it would be anything good. She rolled open the small note, seeing only the words _I'm coming_. To anyone else, this would mean a threat, but the fact that Jem recognized the Ministry issue parchment meant that she would be seeing her legal guardian soon.

Rukia hopped onto Jem's shoulder, and the two passed through the common room as Jem went to drop off her things in her room. Fred and George were on the couch by the fire when she went through, and she waved as she passed, but did not stop. "Hey, don't even get a hug then, mate?" George called after her, half teasing and half hoping she would laugh and turn around to hug him.

Fred laughed at George, elbowing him in the ribs. "You ask her to the Ball yet?"

"No, haven't gotten around to it yet," George lowered his voice. For as loud as the twins were, they both tended to become very introverted when it came to the girls. "What about you? You sent a letter to _Miss Newton_ but didn't even bother asking her!"

"Well—I—it—She…" Fred stuttered horribly, his face reddening immediately. "It was implied!"

"Rubbish," George shook his head. He was distracted soon again by Jem dashing back through the common room and out the door, this time without her owl or her school bag. George's eyes followed her the whole way, with Fred chuckling at him all the while.

"Well, let's go see how she's doing," Fred suggested, waggling his eyebrows at his brother. George smacked him as he rose from the couch, he did not have to tell Fred twice.

XXXXXX

Jem strolled out the front doors of the castle, looking around the grounds to see if Alysia had apparated yet. Instead, she saw a flash of red hair against the green of the Hogwarts grounds. She stared in confusion for only one moment before realizing that the twins had been in the common room when she left, and Ron would not be walking to the castle without Harry and Hermione. Which only left… Percy.

"Son of a—" Jem swore under her breath and hid somewhere before he saw her. He walked right past her hiding spot, seeming to be looking for someone, but he continued on his way and went into the castle. Jem took a deep breath, relieved that Percy had gone. She decided that perhaps she would just wait here, where she would be able to see Alysia when she walked up.

XXXXXX

Fred was leading the two of them out onto the grounds, as they had just seen Jem rushing out of the main entrance. Before they even reached the door Percy was coming through it, surprising both of his brothers.

"Percy? What are you—" Fred began.

"—doing back here?" George finished the question.

"Alysia said she was coming," he answered, looking around and obviously hoping to see someone. "She was hoping to visit her sister, Jem. Have you seen either of them?" At Percy's question, the twins exchanged a quick knowing glance. Both knew what to do now.

"You know, I think they went this way," George jerked his head down the hallway, and began to walk slowly with Percy right behind him. When Percy could not see him anymore, he sent a wink at Fred. Fred smirked back before slipping out the giant entrance doors.

He had gone no more than ten steps before Alysia apparated and nearly knocked him over. "Aye, watch it!" he grumbled in frustration before he realized it was Alysia.

"Well, nice to see you too, Fred Weasley," Alysia blinked at him, grinning like she knew something he did not. His face quickly flushed with embarrassment. There was a soft giggle coming from somewhere behind them, and Alysia's face twitched. She knew who that was.

"Aly!" Jem called out, running from her hiding place to give her sister a hug. "Its good to see you again!"

"Did you really think I'd stay in Berlin for another weekend after that owl you sent? Never," Alysia laughed, holding the younger girl close for a moment. "How much did Snape dock you for the assignment?"

"Uh, none, actually," Jem grinned sheepishly, glancing at Fred who looked ready to laugh. "George had it in his bag by accident and turned it in for me, he explained the whole thing to Snape."

"Oh, really?" Alysia glanced at Fred, as though asking for confirmation. He nodded, grinning knowingly like he and Alysia were sharing a secret. "Gemini Arriaga! What were you doing that made the paper go in there?" Jem immediately turned bright red.

"That information belongs to me, George, and his bed," Jem snorted.

"She has a one track mind, you know, snogging or homework," Fred shrugged, and pretended to be hurt when Jem punched him in the arm. Alysia had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. "Well, let's go find that git, he's probably locked Percy in a broom closet by now."

"Percy's here?!" Alysia exclaimed as they started walking back into the castle, led by Fred. "What on earth made him show up here?"

"Said he was looking for you and Jem," Fred shrugged his shoulders, and just about ran into George who had just burst out of a classroom. It did not seem to be his day for paying attention to where he was going.

"Sorry, mate," George sounded flustered. "McGonnagal just saved me in the nick of time, he was going to make me search the whole building." He just then looked up to see Alysia and Jem, his eyes pausing on Jem for a moment as a smile broke onto his face.

"Save it for the bedroom," Fred shoved George jokingly, who just returned the gesture.

"Let's go for a butterbeer then, I don't think we want these two meeting our big brother so soon," George suggested.

"Too late," Alysia snorted. "And its not a Hogsmeade weekend anyways."

"Oh, but you haven't learned—" Fred chuckled, casually draping an arm over Alysia's shoulders to lead her towards the secret passage they used. Her blush made him grin like a lovesick first year.

"—how _we _get around this old place," George finished, and checked the hallways for onlookers when they reached the bust of the old witch.

"I sometimes wonder about the people you hang out with, Jem," Alysia laughed when the passage opened up, crawling in after her and George. Fred had waited to help her in before going himself.

XXXXXX

Before they knew it, they were all seated and ready to get their butterbeers in the Three Broomsticks. Alysia opened her purse first, "Alright, so everyone wants one right?"

"No, I got it Aly," Jem stopped her, hopping up from the table. Alysia stared at her in confusion.

"Jem, you don't have an income, I—" Alysia started.

"No, no, its my fault you rushed out here, let me treat," Jem danced off to the bar, not letting Alysia say anything else. She flopped back down into her seat next to Fred, watching the girl go with an odd look on her face.

"They grow up so fast," Alysia laughed. "Just last year she was stealing my shoes for dress up."

"Only a year?" George laughed, but stopped when he received a light kick from Fred.

"I bet she could use a hand carrying those," Fred raised his eyebrows.

"Oh yes, she could," Alysia joined in, grinning wickedly. George rolled his eyes and got up to follow Jem to the bar.

"Alright, just don't do anything stupid while I'm gone lovebirds," George said as he left. At the bar, he saw Jem had already gotten the four butterbeers but was now fiddling with something in her pocket. The potion. Of course. It was almost disturbing how similar their mischievous minds were.

"Alright, three drops each…" Jem murmured to herself, uncapping the bottle and reaching for the butterbeers—only to have George snatch them away.

"I should've known, you're going to poison us all!" George laughed, holding them all above her head.

"George Weasley! Give them back!" Jem flustered, jumping to try and reach the bottles.

"Hmm… No."

"Argh!" Jem nearly cursed, but knew it was far too unladylike. So she did the next best thing that she could think of. She leaned up and kissed George on the cheek, causing him to drop the butterbeers out of shock, but her Quidditch training kicked in and she caught them easily. She headed back to the table, careful to take the long way so that she would be able to add the drops without being seen.

"Here we are," Jem announced, careful to hand Fred and Alysia their butterbeers first so as to give them the right ones. George walked up to the table slowly, still speechless and flabbergasted.

"Bloody hell, what happened to you?" Fred asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"Everything," George said, looking like he was daydreaming as he sat down next to Jem, who laughed at him and hugged him from the side. That brought a smile to his face, nearly snapping him out of the trance he was in.

"Well, cheers then," Fred picked up his drink, holding it out to the others.

"Cheers," Alysia smiled, clinking her bottle with Fred and the others as they all joined in. There was a mischievous glint in Jem's eyes as she watched Alysia and Fred drink down their butterbeers. It would only be a matter of time now.


	6. Butter Beer

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. Just a couple of the dvds and a blanket. Yay!

**Author's note:** MT here! We're almost to the Yule Ball, so hold your horses for that one.

_Chapter 6: Butter Beer_

George used Jem's temporary distraction to slip his arm around her shoulders, and she only slightly jumped at the new contact. She tore her gaze from Fred and Alysia's reactions to the potion in their butterbeer to look up at George. He winked at her, and she smiled up at him again. Mischief managed.

Fred finished his first swallow first, glancing down at his butterbeer for a moment in confusion. Was it a new brand? It had almost tasted different. He looked over at Alysia to see how she was reacting to it, and she had been making a face at the difference, too. She licked her lips like she was trying to taste-test again, but it did not help as much as she had hoped. Alysia turned to Fred for his reaction, and their eyes met with an odd intensity. Neither of them noticed the looks George and Jem were giving them, another sign that the potion had worked its magic.

Jem's research had told her that the potion would only work on one couple. As long as the couple both took some potion from the same batch, it should be flawless from the first moment they laid eyes on each other. She could hardly contain her glee when her sister and Fred exchanged wide-eyed gazes.

"Fred, why did you wa—" Alysia began to ask, but she lost her moment when someone interrupted.

"Fred! There you are!" Angelina had just spotted Fred out of all the people in the crowded pub. He turned around in surprise, and by then she'd already wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Alysia's expression could be best described as 'pained.'

"Angelina, hi…" Fred was a bit stunned to see her, and she picked up on it right away.

"Oh, I'm here because my parents decided to stop by for a visit. I guess you're allowed to come out to Hogsmeade with a legal guardian," Angelina explained and Alysia sent a grin at Jem. "So, I was rather hoping you'd go with me to the Yule Ball?"

The brief silence could have been cut with a knife. George and Jem exchanged nervous glances as Alysia's face fell. Of course he'd rather go with his teammate. Guys liked athletic, pretty girls like Angelina. Smart and successful ones like Alysia always ended up married to their work, anyways.

"Well—uh—yeah, sure," Fred was nodding like he didn't know what he'd just agreed to do. Angelina beamed at him and kissed him quickly on the cheek—Alysia ripped a napkin to vent her frustration—before bouncing back over to her parents, where she looked way perkier than anyone had a right to be. Or at least that was how Alysia felt about it all.

Fred turned back to the table, and met George's shocked expression with confusion. George shook his head and drank more of his butterbeer. Jem was watching Alysia's face with worry, and Fred finally looked back over at Alysia. The ministry intern looked close to tears and couldn't seem to lift her gaze from the polished wood table. Too late, it dawned on him that she'd been about to ask him why he had wanted to know if she would be around Hogwarts during the Yule Ball. "Aly…" she tried to reach for her hand and she jerked away, getting up from the table without another word and storming out of the Three Broomsticks. Fred recoiled like he'd been slapped, and took over the staring down at the table role that had been left void in Alysia's absence.

XXXXXX

Once outside in the cooler air, Alysia allowed a single tear to fall. She didn't know anyone here and so she felt perfectly entitled to having her moment of emotional tumult just outside of the Three Broomsticks. She was careful to stay far from the entrance in case someone decided to come out and check on her, and only Jem would dare to do so now.

"Miss Newton?" a familiar voice asked and Alysia cursed herself for forgetting to watch out for Percy. However, it was a welcome relief that he decided not to talk her ear off and instead handed her a clean handkerchief.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Alysia said with a smirk as she dabbed at her tears. Awhile ago he'd insisted she just call him Percy, but since he kept calling her 'Miss Newton' she felt she could be formal herself.

"It's Percy," he said, taking the handkerchief back when she was finished with it. "I take it my brother was a stupid git?" She burst out laughing at his blunt question, and nodded to confirm his suspicion. "Well then, why don't you let me take you out to dinner? If you don't hate me afterwards, I could take you to the Yule Ball so that you could show him exactly what he's missing."

Alysia stared at Percy in surprise. She never would have expected such an idea to come from him, and the more she thought about it the more she liked it. Alysia sniffed one last time and blinked, her tears finally gone though her eyes were still red. "Are we even allowed?" Alysia wondered.

"I'm an alumni, and they've invited Ministry employees for extra protection this year."

"Alright, I'll go with you to the Yule Ball. Coffee Monday morning instead of dinner," Alysia clarified, and made sure Percy nodded solemnly before she relaxed and turned to go back into the Three Broomsticks.

She blinked in surprise when she saw Fred Weasley staring back at her, still holding the door to the small pub like he hadn't decided to completely exit. Alysia stood up a bit straighter and marched right past him into the Three Broomsticks, letting him draw his own conclusions from what he'd heard.

XXXXXX

Fred had taken all of five minutes to ponder over whether he should even bother going after Alysia, and a kick from Jem had helped him to make the decision. He'd cursed the pain and glared at Jem briefly before realizing he was the stupid one at the moment, and soon Fred went out the front door to see if Alysia was alright.

"Now that was just plain wrong," George shook his head in shame and took a drink of his butter beer.

"I don't get it! The potion should have made it a snap!" Jem pounded her fists onto the table, and George chuckled lightly. She was cute when she was angry.

"Well, ah, maybe we should go to the Yule Ball together? Keep an eye on Fred to be sure he doesn't do something he regrets," George turned a little pink as he asked, and Jem looked up at him with big eyes.

"You're really asking me to the Yule Ball?" she asked and he nodded. With a squeal of joy, Jem latched herself onto him and hugged him tightly.

"Kodak moment," Alysia said with a forced smile as she returned to the table. Jem sat up again and looked over Alysia's face. Her eyes were still red-rimmed but she looked like she would be alright. Fred followed behind soon after, looking sheepish and almost hurt. Alysia scooted as far away from him as he dared, and Fred looked disappointed when he saw the gesture.

"That's what you were about to ask me about, wasn't it?" Fred looked Alysia in the eyes, and she nodded stiffly. She finished her butter beer without another word.

XXXXXX


	7. Thanksgiving

**Alright, It's been a year since We've touched this. It's Jade here. We don't own Harry Potter. We do own Aly and Jem. **

**XXX**

"I cannot believe this! I REFUSE to believe this!

Jem Arriaga was angry. That was an understatement. George Weasley was trying to calm her down. He was stroking her dark hair. She was so angry. She glanced to the right and saw Fred and Angelina. They were sitting there and talking like they were the best of friends. It made her blood boil. She was clenching and unclenching her fists. She felt the dramatic need to go up there and punch Angelina or Fred in the face. She could not believe he was doing this.

"Jem, will you please calm down?"

George's calming words were lost to deaf ears. As much as the brunette amused him, he was truly worried about his twin and Angelina. He watched as Jem stood up, grabbed her backpack, gave him a quick wave and stalked up the grand staircase. She was shaking her head, her crimson and brown hair going everywhere. She was so fearsome that students were actually going out of their way to avoid stepping to close. George couldn't stop but laughing when Harry Potter almost got shoved up the stairs.

"What's wrong with her?"

Harry sat down with a grumble and glared up at the girl who has just disappeared from sight. George just shook his head and picked at his fish n chips. He still was having issues with the whole Fred and Angelina thing. He had enough, said goodbye to Harry and followed his date to the Gryffindor Tower.

XXX

Aly was sitting on the shore of the great lake, watching the giant squid slide around underneath the ice. That was honestly one of the most disgusting and disturbing sites she has ever seen. And she has seen Jem eat a large Pizza by herself. She was lost in her own thoughts and she had not heard the footsteps behind her. When a blanket was draped around her shoulders and a mug of hot chocolate shoved into her hands she looked into her sister's big blue eyes.

"For someone who doesn't care for the cold, whenever your upset that's the first place you go."

Aly let a small smile grace her face as the brunette plopped down beside her on the frost shore. She understood Aly's pain. That's how close they were. When one was upset the other was worse off. Jem was starting to feel the effects of second-hand-breakup. She took a sip of her own mug of hot chocolate and was gathering her thoughts.

"I was about to punch her in the face."

As soon as those words left Jem's face it happened. Aly started to cry. She told herself she wouldn't but she did. Jem smiled sadly and wrapped her arms around her older sister. Aly buried her face into her shoulder and let all of her pent up emotions fall out in the form of water.

"Pretty athletic girls always get the guy. You have George."

Jem smiled softly against the silken blond hair. She sighed.

"I honestly think he adores you, Aly. I think he's throwing himself at her out of guilt."

Aly tried not to get her hopes up, but she felt the emotion building up inside of her. She wiped her eyes on the edge of the green blanket. Green? She saw a serpent. She saw a D.M. and she started to laugh. She slapped Jem lightly on the arm in admonishment. Jem gestured up to the school and grabbed her sister and they headed back up to the school.

XXX

The huge Thanksgiving supper was one that George was never going to forget. It was unusually scrumptious. He had an inkling that it was to impress the guests. Not that he cared. He was to busy trying to decide what he was going to eat. His mouth was starting to water at the many aromas that were flying around the room. Some of the guests were looking impressed while others were looking pretty disdainful. He looked to the right and saw both Fred and Angelina stiffen when Jem and Aly sat down.

Aly and Jem almost cried out in joy when they saw American food on the buffet. Jem grinned when she loaded her plate with green beans, ham and mashed potatoes. That's when she saw it. They had cans of coke. She felt a huge grin cross her face as she locked eyes with Albus Dumbledore. He raised a can of coke and grinned. She gave him a golf clap and opened the can. Harry whooped in joy and grabbed one for himself. Ron was staring at the can with a mixture of fascination and contempt. He shook the can and heard about three warnings not to open it. He didn't listen.

"Ronald Weasley!"

Jem snorted over her plate of food as soda dripped out of Parvati Patil's long dark plait. Everyone tried hard to keep a straight face. Aly swore she felt one of her ribs crack, tears were making her eyes sting. Aly heard a quite sort of cough and turned to see the headmaster with one hand covering his eyes as his frail body shook from silent laughter. Aly grinned even bigger. Then she felt the grin slide off of her face faster than water on glass. Jem silently and gently kicked her in the ankle.

Fred was feeding Angelina a piece of pumpkin pie. Jem felt the need to throw up. She honestly has no idea Fred could be the cruel. She glared long and hard at him. She kicked him hard in the shin. She knew she hit her mark when he gasped and dropped the pie in Angelina's lap. Jem let out a satisfied smirk when tears filled up his eyes.

XXX

Fred felt like a arse, that much was for certain. He couldn't get the look of Aly sliding away from him in the Three Broomsticks or the fact that he made her cry. Jem wouldn't even talk to him anymore. She would walk by him in a cold silence. For such a sweet girl she could be really menacing.

Aly made it worse. She was at Hogwarts for an extended trip. Albus himself asked her to stay and work with the muggle studies teacher to learn about the different in American studies and Hogwarts ones. He saw her everywhere and it was slowly driving him insane. He felt terrible. He wanted to hit himself in the face. He lost the girl of his dreams. He had to win her back.


	8. Muggles

_**M.T. here, introducing a few chapters to make Jade smile. Enjoy and thanks for reading! We do not own Harry Potter, we do own Aly and Jem.**_

XXX

Alysia Newton waited patiently while Neville Longbottom stared down at the test the Muggle Studies teacher had given. He had been ill the day of the exam thanks to an accident in potions, so Alysia was filling in for the Muggle Studies professor while Neville made up the missed test. Unlike the professor, Alysia waited quietly, sitting on the desk with her legs crossed beneath her. "Seriously, why do we have to know the difference between Americans handling dark wizards and ours?" Neville whined.

"Maybe because some Americans work with your Ministry of Magic," Alysia hinted, making sure her American accent weighed heavily on her words. Neville flushed and turned back to his test. Aly slid off of the desk and went to the window, looking to give her legs a stretch. She did not mind helping, in fact she loved being here so that she could spend more time with her sister. But the exams did get a little long and boring. They were much longer than the exams she had taken in school, but then again, they were vastly different from the American system. Alysia went over to the window and looked down at the grounds, smiling as she saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team practicing on the field. As an assisting professor, she was not supposed to pick favorites, but she knew which team she cheered the loudest for. Alysia turned around and watched Neville working. It was boring, but she was supposed to be sure he was not cheating. She walked over towards his desk to glance over the test, being as quiet and subtle as she could.

"Eye of newt. We've been addicted to using eye of newt ever since the Salem Witch Trials," she whispered when she saw him struggling over a particularly odd question. He grinned at her over his shoulder, and Alysia winked at him before returning to the window. She looked around to see if Jem was anywhere on the grounds causing trouble, but there was no sign of her. Instead, she saw the Gryffindor team returning to the castle. Aly held her breath for a moment as Fred and Angelina came into view. He seemed to sense that he was being watched, and looked right up at the window into the Muggle Studies room. Alysia let her breath out in a huff and walked back to the professor's desk.

XXX

"Don't you want new dress robes for the Yule Ball? Come on, Aly!" Jem pouted at her elder sister. Alysia was sitting next to her on a bench just outside of the great hall with her lips clenched together. "You know you want to make him jealous. You _have_ to make him jealous."

"That's what Percy is for," Alysia commented bitterly and turned to Jem with a shrug. "Really, I'm fine. I've got a dress from home. It'll be fine." Jem just looked at her disbelievingly. Eventually Aly groaned and broke from the pressure of her sister's gaze. "Okay, I'm not fine! I don't want to go with Percy! But you know I've got no choice!" She put on a strong face, and she had built up her walls again, but the damage had been done. At least she had finally been able to stop crying at the drop of a hat. She hated to cry.

"We're still going shopping. You need to really stand out, or it's not worth it," Jem insisted, and hopped up happily when George approached in one of the sweaters his mother had made. Alysia wondered if the big G across his chest was just a way to help Mrs. Weasley tell the twins apart. The thought brought a smile to her lips.

"Hello, love!" he greeted Jem, whom hugged him tightly. Alysia found the smile on her face faltering, and she looked away. She was happy for her sister, but it still hurt. "Actually I was hoping to talk to Aly for a minute. Alone?"

Alysia looked up at George in surprise and nodded. She got to her feet and waved good bye to Jem before leading George around the corner. Less people were in this hallway and it seemed more fitting. She debated going into a classroom, but it seemed like a bad idea. "How can I help you?" Alysia asked at last.

"It's Fred—now before you go," he had to grab her arm to keep her from leaving, and she gave him a look that could kill. He dropped her arm and she waited for him to go on. "Look, the complete moron's really having trouble in Muggle Studies. He'd never ask himself, not after… You know… But I was hoping you could tutor him or something. I know it's a lot to ask."

"It is a lot to ask," Alysia's voice was flat and even. "But if it's for class, I'll do it. That's why I'm here." She stared at him for a moment, as though trying to read something in his eyes. "Fine. Tell him to meet me in the Muggle Studies room tomorrow afternoon after classes end for the day." She stalked off before he could say anything else, and mentally kicked herself for agreeing to this.

XXX

"Here, you can have your sweater back," Fred tossed the lumpy 'G' sweater at his brother as he walked back into their dormitory. George looked up at him in confusion as he caught his sweater, opening it up to see the 'G' and thus confirm that it was his.

"What were you doing with my sweater?" George asked as Fred flopped down onto his bed and pulled out his wand. Fred never answered as he started casting charms to make dancing lights above his head, most of them seeming to be fireworks and shooting stars.

XXX

Jem was glaring at the homework spread out before her, baffled by the complexity of it all. How could anyone know that there was this much to learn about Charms? Hermione was breezing through her homework on the other side of the table, looking only mildly ruffled when she came across something complicated. Jem just groaned in exasperation and banged her head against the table.

"Which one's got you down today?" George wanted to know as he sat down next to Jem, setting down his own books and homework. Jem straightened up and smiled at him brightly, then tilted her head to the side in surprise.

"Huh…"

"What?" George raised a brow at her.

"Nothing, just surprised you changed out of your sweater. It's cold in here, even with the fire going," Jem commented, then grinned up at him. "Did you have a good chat with Aly? What was it about? She wouldn't tell me." That was the part that that surprised her the most. Normally Aly told her anything and everything, but this time she had clammed up. She could only hope she would loosen up and tell her soon. She hated to be left in the dark.

Meanwhile, George had put two and two together, and was looking over at his brother in surprise. "Oi! Fred!"

Fred looked up from where he was sitting with Angelina, and when he saw Jem and George together he could tell he was busted. From the look on Jem's face, she had no idea what had happened yet. Meeting George's eye, Fred just gave him an elaborate wink, and went back to what he was doing.

"Well, looks like that potion worked," George remarked. Jem looked at him in complete confusion, and he just grinned before starting his homework.

XXX

As class was excused, Alysia suddenly felt nauseous. Could she really tutor Fred after all of this? The professor had given her the room to use, and she loved working with the students. But this situation with Fred was unique, and uncomfortable. They had not exchanged words since the Three Broomsticks. Alysia went over to the window, leaning her forehead against the glass so that the cold could calm her down. Something about the shock of it always seemed to comfort her, like it snapped her out of whatever episode she was in.

"Hey," Fred said as he walked into the classroom. Aly took a deep breath and stepped away from the window, looking over at him coldly. She had no idea why he was doing this to her. Why not just ask his father? Arthur Weasley would probably love to help his son with Muggle Studies.

"Take a seat. Which areas are you struggling in?" Alysia asked, her voice lacking the usual care and interest she normally had. Fred hung his head low as he moved to one of the tables in the front of the room, and Alysia pulled a chair up to sit across from him. It took her a full minute to be able to meet his eyes.

"You're going to hate me forever, aren't you?" Fred asked, though it sounded more like a statement of fact. He pulled out his things and laid them out while she composed herself enough to answer.

"I don't hate you," Alysia crossed her arms over her chest. "I just wish you would cut back on the public displays of affection. It's nauseating."

"You don't seem to mind when George and Jem do it."

"Of course I mind, she's my sister and I don't want to see him snogging her!"

Fred snorted and opened up the book, shaking his head as he found the section that was troubling him. "Here. The bit on the Salem Witch Trials. Why was that such a big deal? Only thirteen people died, right?"

"It's a big deal because it meant we had to be twice as careful. Those thirteen women were completely innocent, and not magical at all. They were discriminated against, and killed out of prejudice. The Americans had to be much more careful about hiding their Department of Magic. Now it's just another branch of government, sure, but to really understand why we're so overly cautious about threats, you have to understand the Salem Witch Trials," Alysia paused to take a breath, and looked up at Fred in exasperation. "So where should we start?"

"You're feisty about this stuff. It's cute when you're feisty," Fred teased.

"Fred. Your textbook. Which part of the Trials is the hardest for you? Let's just start there and get this over with," Alysia sighed heavily.

"This one," Fred pointed to a paragraph at the very bottom of the page. Alysia looked annoyed, but obligingly leaned across the table so that she could see what he was pointing at. As soon as she was close enough, Fred closed the distance between them and kissed her. Alysia jolted back, and stared at him in shock.

"I'm not one of your Wizarding Wheezes, Fred, stop toying with me!" Alysia spat and stormed out of the room. Her stomach was twisting and turning with butterflies, because despite her anger, it been a good kiss.


	9. Witch's Brew

_**Chapter 9: Witche's Brew**_

XXX

As the winter grew colder around them, the Hogwarts students began studying more intensely than usual as pre-winter holiday tests approached with disturbing speed. Talk and anticipation of the Yule Ball made life more bearable, but Jem Arriaga and Hermione Granger still spent most of their time hunched over their homework and reviewing their notes whenever they had a chance. Aly quizzed Jem whenever she had the chance, but on account of a situation in Berlin she was forced to leave Hogwarts to handle Ministry business. When Jem was not missing her terribly or studying, she and George were plotting.

Almost a whole week after Fred and Aly's study session, George had confessed to Jem that Fred had orchestrated the whole thing by posing as him. Jem had been furious, but George had calmed her down and convinced her it was a good thing. It meant that Potion Number 9 had actually done its job—and now they could help things along with a few new tricks.

"You're sure this will work?" George looked at Jem doubtfully. He glanced down the length of the breakfast table, where Fred and Angelina sat chatting. At least they were not snogging for once. He was all in favor of a harmless prank since the potion was only supposed to last a couple of days, but he really doubted it would help their siblings start to see the light any faster than the last potion had.

"I know it will! I studied this potion for a week! This one is guaranteed to make her so forgetful, she won't even know how to dance at the Yule Ball," Jem grinned proudly, holding the small vial of potion like a weapon between her fingers.

"You're positively evil," George chuckled approvingly. "Just don't hurt her, okay? She's really not all bad."

"_Pfft_. Haven't you ever heard of the girl code? Sisters before misters!" the fourth year insisted, and hopped up to do the deed. They had agreed that Jem should deliver the potion, since Fred would surely catch George in the act. Who knew if he would stop them, but it was a risk Jem had not been willing to take. Jem stopped just behind Fred and Angelina, and put on her best apology face. It was not easy, but since she was doing this for Aly's own good, it had to be done. "Fred, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am."

"You're sorry?" Fred turned away from Angelina and looked up at Jem suspiciously. Jem's hand moved quickly while Fred was distracted, and dumped the whole vial into Angelina's drink while the girl was gossiping with one of her friends.

"I shouldn't be so hard on you, you know, for thinking with your balls instead of your brains. It happens to guys all the time where I come from, I guess I should be used to it by now," Jem sighed, and patted him on the back. Fred just looked baffled as Jem turned and went back to George, who was beet red from trying not to laugh out loud. Jem handed him the empty vial proudly, and turned to watch as Angelina lifted her cup and drank the potion right from it. "And now, we just have to wait and let the pieces fall together," Jem toasted George with her cup, and they clinked them together theatrically.

XXX

Seagulls called out as they flew by, and the salty sea breeze whipped Alysia's hair back and forth underneath her hat. Percy looked decidedly uncomfortable as he clutched his paper Starbucks cup in one hand, and tried to get used to his civilian muggle clothes by tugging on his jacket with the other hand. "It's much easier if you just relax, you know," Alysia told him as she sipped on the white chocolate mocha he had so kindly bought her. Though she had agreed to go to the Yule Ball with him, it had been an argument ever since about actually having this coffee date. Finally caving in, Aly had allowed Percy to accompany her on one of her morning outings to the first Starbucks in Pike Place Market. She even showed him the quiet corner behind the famed fish stand, where you could just stare out at the water and listen to the hustle and bustle behind you without getting caught in the rush of it. She had sorely needed the coffee as well as a moment of peace, even with Percy with her. Between her own finals coming up at university in Berlin, a hectic time at the Ministry, and helping out at Hogwarts or quizzing Jem, she was running out of time to sleep. It was beginning to show in the circles under her eyes.

"I'll never relax in these," Percy grumbled and sipped the tea he had bought himself. "So how's Jem?"

Alysia rolled her eyes. Jem seemed to be the only thing they had in common, even though she had been at Hogwarts for so long helping with Muggle Studies. "She's fine. How's Arthur? I've been too busy in Berlin to see much of him," Alysia asked.

"Good, having trouble with enchanted… What are they called… Snuggies?" Percy looked confused, and Aly burst out laughing.

"He's going to have a lot of trouble if people are enchanting those," Aly sipped her coffee again. "We should probably go back. I have a lot of paperwork to do, and finals to write for school." She turned to lead him back to the Floo connection that linked to the Ministry of Magic, holding her coffee close for the added warmth as they weaved their way around the crowd.

"He's fine too, you know," Percy said as he followed Alysia through the crowd of people. She turned to give him a questioning look, and he clarified. "Fred. You so carefully ask after everyone else, but never the one you're really curious about."

Alysia's cheeks flamed and she remained silent until she could safely retreat to the safety of her branch of the Ministry of Magic.

XXX

Jem's eye twitched as she poured through the exam for Herbology. There were so many technical terms and she only recognized half of them from the textbook. She let out a soft whimper and did her best to guess the correct answers based on what she had been reading. An hour passed by as she went through the test, and a few of the faster students were starting to leave after turning in their tests. Jem hated that she could not join them. _Only thirty questions to go, come on, Gemini Arriaga! You can do this!_ she told herself.

A door burst open at the back of the class, and she could hear someone panting as they ran inside. All of the students turned to see Angelina standing there, looking confused and disoriented. "Isn't this Potions? Where's Professor Snape?" Angelina gasped.

"This is Fourth Year Herbology, Miss Johnson. Are you feeling well?" Professor Sprout looked concerned and walked towards the confused girl. "Back to your exams! I will be right back after taking Miss Johnson to Madame Pomfrey." Everyone froze until Professor Sprout left, staring dutifully down at their incomplete tests. Once the door closed, and the footsteps on the other side faded away, whispers exploded throughout the room.

In no time at all, Jem had all the answers she needed and felt much better about the test. She turned in her parchment and headed back to Gryffindor tower to tell George the good news.

XXX

"Pens down," the professor said as he moved through the room, his demeanor stern as he collected the exam booklets from each student's table. This was the last of Alysia's exams before she could take her Christmas vacation and spend it at Hogwarts. Her room in Hogsmeade was already booked and waiting for her, and her dorm room was packed and cleaned. She only needed to be released from the test, but of course this professor liked to have total control. He made everyone wait until he had returned to the front of the room and tapped the stack of exam booklets into a neat pile. "You may go. Merry Christmas," he said tiredly, and all of the college students jumped up to run out of the classroom and start their vacations.

Alysia walked to her dormitory with a spring in her step. She was still exhausted, but at long last, she was done. Now she only had to find something to wear to the Yule Ball. As if by magic, she spotted a dress in the window of a shop as she went along, and stopped to get a better look at it. It was shimmery, and an odd mixture of blood red and deep pink. It seemed to change color depending on how you looked at it. The cut and style was perfect to flatter her, so she went inside to try it on and took it back to her dorm with her. She thought Jem would be happy to hear that she had finally bought a dress, and she packed it into her Christmas bag lovingly as she imagined dancing at the Yule Ball. Except the face of her dance partner was Fred's, not Percy.

Her smile wilted, and she zipped up her suitcase with a sigh. Nothing was perfect, but at least she would look good. Alysia pulled out her wand and disapparated to Hogsmeade, checking into her room without any delay. Once she heaved her bag up the stairs, and set it down on the floor, she plopped down onto the bed and fell asleep instantly.

XXX

"Why hasn't it worked yet?" Jem huffed, and once again, George was trying to calm her down. They were walking around the grounds in the freshly fallen snow, where hordes of first years were having snow ball fights and trying every charm they knew to help them in their battle. Most attempts at levitating snow balls were embarrassing, some showed potential.

"You should have gone with the Retching Roach. They're going to be a hit in our shop," George held up one of the prototypes. It was a candy in the shape of a cockroach, and as the name suggested, it induced vomiting. It could be used to get you out of a test, out of class, out of anything. Or, when given to a friend or enemy, it was just hilarious. Unlike their other concoctions, this could be either eaten like candy or dissolved in a drink instantly.

"Yeah, well—nyeah!" Jem stuck her tongue out at him, and he leaned forward to pretend he was going to try and bite it. Jem let out a playful shriek, and the couple jumped up to go have a snowball fight. Before too long, they were joined by Ron and Harry, who were much better at using magic to help them in a snowball fight. Every time Ron tried to throw a snowball at Harry, Harry would just say _'Accio snowball'_ and throw it at Ron instead. Before long, the Weasleys teamed up and Harry and Jem formed an alliance against them. They laughed for hours until the sky finally started to grow dark and they all went inside for dinner.

XXX

The silence was finally starting to drive Fred crazy. He couldn't be that bad of a kisser, so Alysia must just be playing hard to get. Or was she? She had flat out disappeared not long after that study session, which really made him wonder what had happened. Now Angelina could never seem to remember to meet up with him, which was really not all that flattering. What was the world coming to?

During study time after dinner in the great hall, Fred tried writing a quick letter. That was reasonable, wasn't it? Just to see where they stand, of course. He kept it short and simple, which was to say that he spent most of the time sitting there completely clueless about what to even write. Finally he put away his quill and rolled up the parchment, heading up to find Errol so that he could send the letter. Fred went over the words in the letter over and over again in his head even as he walked through the hallways, wondering just how foolish he was being for even sending this. He was barely paying attention as he walked through the halls, and as he rounded a corner, he crashed into a blonde woman heading the other way.

"Sorry, I didn't see you—" Fred gulped when he recognized Aly straightening her winter robes. "There…"

"Right. How's your girlfriend doing?" Alysia asked, forcing herself to sound sweet as she smiled venomously at him. When he didn't answer, she just shook her head and continued to the courtyard to find wherever Jem was hiding out today.

"Wait," Fred stopped her, and shoved the letter into her hands. "Just read it later, okay?" Aly blinked in surprise as she looked down at the letter, and found that it was her turn to watch him walk away when he spun on his heel and headed back into the great hall.


End file.
